Washing-machine driving mechanism



H; W. EDEN WASHING MACHINE DRIVING MECHANISM' Filed May 2s. 1920 Patented Oct. 28, 1924.

unirsi) stares sereni" omer..

ASSIGNOR TO ALBAUG-H-DOVEB COMPANY,

WASHING-MACHINE DRIVING IfIECHANISIVI.

Application led May 26, 1920. Serial No. 384,413.

To all 107mm t may concern.'

Be it known that I, flanonn W. EDEN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State 'of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a lVashing-Machine Driving Mechanism; and l do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and` exact description of the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates more particularly to an improved type of a washing machine drum driving mechanism adapted to partially rotate said drum when a clutch device is thrown into locking position.

it is an object of this invention to provide a crank operated driving gear mechanism for rocking a washing machine cylinder.

lt is also an object of the invention to operate a washing machine clothes container by means of a crank operated reciprocating i gear and rack mechanism.

Another object of the invention is the construction of a clutch controlled motor driven mutilated gear and rack mechanism adapted to partially rotate a washing machine clothes container alternately in opposite directions.

It is an important ob]I ect of this invention to provide an improved and simplified motor driven mechanism for partially rotating a washing machine drum alternately in opposite directions.

thei1 and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and drawings.

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a washing machine equipped with a driving gear mechanism embodyingthe principles of this inveiition.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail section taken on line 2-2, of Figure 1.

Figure?) is a reduced section taken on line 3 3, of Figure 2, showing parts in elevation.

Figure 4 -is a detail view taken on line 4-4, of Figure 3.

As shown on the drawings:

The reference numeral 1, indicates a washing machine frame having rigidly mounted on one side or end thereof a casing or housing 2, which is provided with an opening 3. The casing 2, is closed bya removable cover t, which has integrally formed thereon a bearing 5, for receiving a reduced end 6, of.vr

a shaft section 7. integrally connecting the shaft end 6k and the shaft section 7, is a square cross-sectioned intermediate shaft section The shaft section 7, is ]ournalled in a bearing sleeve 10, integrally formed ont,

the inner wall of the casing 2, as clearly shown in Figure V2. the inner end of the shaft section 7, is a socket or box 11, open at one end and at the `top and provided with a rectangular pocketz;

for removably receiving' seated therein a rectangular lug or trunnionl2. The trunnion 12, is rigidly secured on one end of a clothes drum or cylinder 13, having a cylindrical trunnion" provided on the other eiidir thereof for supporting the cylinder in a suitable bearing provided on the supporting rrame 1.

Rotatably mounted on the shaft section 7,

Y of which projects into the casing 2. Formed or secured on the upper projecting' end of the control rod 22, is a handle or thumb piece 23, adapted to permit rotation of the rod 22, and operation of the shiftabie clutch ring by means of the crank pin 20.

Formed in casing 2,*is a guide groove 24, in which is slidably engaged a rack 25. Integrally formed on one end of the rack 25, is

integrally formed on` wit-hin the casing 2,'is a mutilated gear 14,-f3l

an arm 26, on the end of which is integrally formed a transverse head 27, provided with a slot 28. Integrally formed on the bottoni of thel rack arm 26, is a shoe 29, which is slidable upon a boss 30, formed on the inner surface of the casing bottom. Journalled in a casing sleeve 31, is the lower end of a vertical driving shaft 32, on the lower end of which is secured a plate or disk 33. Rigidly secured on the disk 33, is a crank piny 34, which engages in theslot 28, of the rack head 27. The driving shaft 32, is enclosed `by a vertical housing 35, on the upper end of which a wringer driving mechanism 36, is mounted.

rSecured on the vdriving shaft 32, is a worm gear which meshes with a worm enclosed by a small casing 37. The worm is formed -on a motor shaft 38, which is driven by'an electric motor 39. The motor 39, is Supported on a sub-frame or bracket V40, lformed at one end of the casing 2, and resting o'n the frame 1, as shown in Figure 1.

To permit the clothes drum or container 13, to be locked against rotation with the door opening thereof positioned at the top, apair of spaced teeth 41 are formed on the V`Vshiftable clutch, 18, for co-action with a tooth 42, formed on the inner surface of the leasing vcover r4. To lock the drum 13,'in upright 'position the clutch 18, is shifted 'by turning the rod 22, so that the clutch will Vslide outwardly from neutral position to fpermit the teeth 41, toV engage on opposite sides ofthe tooth. 42.

The operation 1s as follows:

Normally the clutch mechanisms are positioned outV of engagement with each other, as shown in Figure 2. Vhen the motor 39 is started` the shaft 38 is rotated thereby causing rotation of the vertical driving shaft 32, through the Worm and worin gear members which are enclosed by the casing 37 and the housing 35.

IRotation of the'sliaft 32 causes rotation of the disk 33, the crank pin 34, of which operates in the slot 28, and serves to reciprocatethe arm 26 and the rack 25, integrally Yconnected thereto. The rack 25, is guided in the guidegroove 24, when operating, and the'shoe 29, sliding on the boss 30, serves to hold the rack in a horizontal position. Reciprocation of the rack 25, acts to partially rotate the mutilated gear 14, alternately in opposite directions on the shaft section 7.

During the above operation the shaft 7,

Yand the clothes drum 13, remain stationary.

To oper-ate the clothes drum 13, for the purypose of 'washing clothes, the handle 23, is manually turned, thereby partially rotating f the 'control rod 22, to swing the crank 21, in-

wardly toward the drum. The crank'pin actsi'to vslide the clutch ring 18, inwardly fo'nthe intermediate square shaft section 8, ftoithro'w the clutch'te'eth 'or lugs 17, into Vscribing witnesses.

locking engagement in the notches 16, of the gearV clutch ring 15; By the above operation, the drum shaft is locked with the mutilated Vgear 14, which is rocked or partially rotated alternately in opposite directions by the reciprocating rack 25. A partial rotation alternately in opposite directions is thus imparted to the drum shaft and to the clothes drum, for the purpose of washing the clothes within the drum. To stop the operation of the drum 13,'the rod 22, is rotated in an opposite direction to cause the crank pin 20, to retractthe shiftable clutch ring 18, and thereby move the clutch teeth 17, out of engagement with the gear clutch ring 15. The operation of the mutilated gear 14, and the rack 25, is discontinued by stopping the driving motor 39.

Tv/Vhen it is desired to lock the clothes drum 13 against rotation in an upright position, that is in a position wherein the drum door is uppermostto permit the insertion of clothes into the drum, the' clutch 18, is shifted outwardly 'from its normal or neutral position so that the clutch teeth 41, will lockingly engage -onopposite sides of the casing tooth 42.

l am aware thatA numerous details of construction may be varied through a wioe range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

l claim as my invention:

In a washing machine, a rotary drum, a motor supportedadjacent one end thereof. a casing attached to the same end of said drum and below said motor, a vertical shaft extending from said casing, a driving connection between said shaft and motor, a horizontal shaft operatively connected with said drum and extending into said casing, a rack within said casing adapted to be reciprocated by said vertical shaft, a gear on said horizontal shaft engaged by said rack to impart alternate rotary motion to said drum, a second vertical Ashaft projecting from said casing, and a clutch between said gear and drum shaft operated by said second vertical shaft.

In testimony whereof l have hereunto sub-- scribed my name in the presence of two sub- Witnesses:

CHARLEs W. HILLS, Jr., EARL M. HARDINE.

nanonn w. nnen, f 

